Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel colour, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate.
Oh, and 36 per cent beef. Thirty-six percent – plus all the above making up for the other 64 per cent of the party in your mouth.
According to the USDA, you can’t call any product that has that kind of combination “beef”. Beef is defined as “flesh of cattle”. Grounded beef is defined as:
Chopped fresh and/or frozen beef with or without seasoning and without the addition of beef fat as such, shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders.
That’s why an Alabama law firm is presenting a lawsuit for false advertising, claiming that what Taco Bell claims is “beef” in their commercials is just the aforementioned processed clustermass of disgust.
Their containers in which the taco mud arrives to their establishments is labelled as “taco meat filling” which is how it should be labelled in all advertising and packaging, according to the USDA. Of course, new Double Decker with Two Time More Taco Meat Filling doesn’t sound quite good.
The irony is that not even if Taco Bell used Taco Meat Filling in their packaging and ads they would be right: The USDA says that any food labelled as “meat taco filling” should at least have 40 per cent fresh meat. According to the Alabama law firm, their stuff only has 36 per cent meat.
Thank you, Corporate America, for yet another episode of food fun. [WTOL]
Josh Mcfarlane
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 4:07 PMSo I should learn to add more silicon dioxide to my BBQ to get that rich anti-caking taste.
CrowdedTrousers
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 4:42 PMi find myself simultaneously disgusted and salivating.
…oh, and ‘clustermass of disgust’ i claim that as the name of my (non-exisitant) death metal-gospel-mongolian throat singing fusion band.
John
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 4:46 PMCountless nutrition-conscious carnivores swindled by the clever marketing of these types of Mexi-frauds! Bring me a lawsuit with extra cheese substitute!
lunchbox99
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 5:40 PMWhy is the label not reproduced exactly as shown in the photo? Because it would not be as sensationalist I’m guessing.
The ingredients starts with “Beef, Seasoning [isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder...] etc”. Why leave off the “beef” and the fact that most of those subsequent items are “seasoning” ingredients?
Read the label on ANY powdered seasoning or bottled sauce and it contains the same ingredients.
pdf
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 6:21 PMWell, maybe that, and to allow for the punch-line that there’s *only 36 percent beef* in there.
stefan
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 6:11 PMI’m more disturbed by the contents on the side of the label, looks like rotten brain or something :O
Sam Timmins
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 2:17 AMThank the Gods in our version of Demolition Man’s future, Pizza Hut is crowned victor of the Franchise Wars!
chaz
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 10:26 AMI thought my friend was having me on when he told me that cuz I only saw the Taco Bell version on vid.
Was the Pizza Hut version in retail distribution as well?
Nwash
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 3:21 AMYou really should accurately portray what is on packaging as not to essentially just frighten or disturb people. Including “BEEF” as it is the first ingredient would be a good call.
Also, is anyone really that surprised?? Maybe if you’ve NEVER HAD the beef from T-Bell this could be shocking… haha
The Flash
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 8:00 AMI’m surprised that anyone is surprised by this. It’s not as if the kids behind the counter are loving hand crafting the Mexican you buy at a taco bell.
David Short
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 1:55 PMTrue, the ingredient list isn’t very appetising. It starts with “beef”, for goodness’ sake: a full third of this stuff is bits of dead cow.
If you took that out (the sugar too), and just left the tomato and seasoning, it would be an appetising and fairly healthy filling.
Jaijaitogogo
Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 3:39 AMDoesn’t matter. Still a taco. Still delicious.